Door lock mechanism for sliding door means

ABSTRACT

In a sliding door assembly a lock mechanism comprising a horizontally extending elongated locking latch mounted on the sliding door and having a latch head, a pivotal catch including a handle and cam mountable on the doorpost and spaced away therefrom to define a latch-receiving space, the locking operation occurring upon rotation of the handle to the locked position and having the catch cam entrap the latch head between the cam and the doorpost, hook means preventing movement of the catch in the unlocking position, and secondary locking means including complementary registering holes on a secondary lock element on the door and on the handle, further seal holes provided on the secondary lock element and on the handle and a movable locking arm pivotally mounted on said locking element and having a cam registering with an opening in the handle in the locked position of the secondary lock means.

i 1 awse United States [72] Inventor 292/205 X 292/285 X 70/ I00 d S S u R s n r mm 0 m M m e U n mm MOW .mm u yMn Hut 3 mnm E f0 l 8 dB fi f a a CSI V 0 202 d 246 n 999 HO HHH. m 03 mfl m 453 039 W 765 am 312 m0 nn 23 PA a1 0 m w m EMSJIMO mfifim y 7 mmnmnmm No mm nmmm AHPA ABSTRACT: In a sliding door assembly a lock mechanism comprising a horizontally extendin mounted on the sliding door and ha catch including a handle and cam g elongated locking latch [54] DOOR LOCK MECHANISM FOR SLIDING DOOR MEANS ving a latch head, a pivotal mountable on the doorpost mmw%w ZQW .2 2 0 6 9 9M 2 %2 3 mm m n m :0 n a m mmG Hu m i m m 6 n 8 w m. m mmS N m Wm M WW m m m "m C l0 s m. U IF 1 ll. 2 0 5 55 I ll element on the door and on the secondary locking means inclu Reta-cums Cited mg holes on a secondary lock UNITED STATES PATENTS handle, further seal holes provided on the secondary lock ele ment and on the handle and a movable locking arm pivotally mounted on said locking element and having a 292/198 cam registering 292/250 with an opening in the handle in the locked position of the 292/205 secondary lock means.

m r. wmn U HCH m n i PATENTED MIR 3 B71 SHEET 1 BF 2 INVENTOR RAY L. FERR/S BYMML ATT Y.

PATENTED M18 3l97l 3,596,959

SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTOR RAY L. FERRIS wgw DOOR LUEK MECHANISM FUR SLIDING HOUR ll/IIEANS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A general object of this invention is to provide for door lock mechanism for sliding door means and in particular to provide for a door lock arrangement for locking of a lightweight or thin door to a doorpost as, for example, the door of a lightweight paneled boxcar to the end post of the boxcar. The invention has as an object the provision of a latch carried by the movable or slidable door to be interposed between a postmounted pivotal handle-operated catch element which cams in the handle closed position to lock the door against longitudinal movement while a hook limits movement of the handle in the door unlocked position to prevent movement of the handle beyond the clearance lines set by the Association of American Railroads (A.A.R.). Further, it is an object of this invention to provide for secondary lock means in the form of a pivotal door-mounted secondary lock element having a secondary cam engageable with the handle in the locked position thereof, and seal and padlock means cooperative with the secondary lock means and the handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of the novel door-locking mechanism mounted in the locked position on the door and doorpost;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the novel door-locking mechanism mounted in the unlocked position on the door and doorpost;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the lock mechanism in the closed position; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view like FIG. 3 showing the door lock mechanism in the closed locked position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference now to the drawings there is shown a lock mechanism 2 for mounting on the sliding door 3 and doorway end wall or end post 4. The end wall structure or corner post means 4 has attached thereto a steel door seal element 5 which has a diagonally sidewardly outwardly projecting end portion 6 to receive in overlapping relation the door means 3 in the locked position of the door lock mechanism 2. To this end, the door means 3 is provided with a vertically extending spring seal 7 held in an aluminum door end frame 3 attached to and encompassing a fiberglass door panel II. The spring seal 7 sealingly engages the steel seal' 5 mounted on the end wall means 4 of the door. The steel door seal element 5 has a door seal-engaging portion It) having a sealing surface Ill engaging with the seal surface 12 of the door frame II, as best seen in cross section in FIG. 3.

The door lock mechanism comprises a latch structure 13 mounted on the reinforcement bar I3a on the door panel and frame of the door 3 and has a catch structure I4 mounted on the door corner post or end wall structure 4.

The latch structure or means I3 comprises a longitudinally extending latch bar I5 mounted on the reinforcement bar I3a by rivets In. The latch element or bar I5 has a latch catch engaging head I7 projecting outwardly from the doorframe bar I30 at the end of the door and inwardly of the door end has an outside outwardly projecting doorstop I8 which provides a limit or stop for the outside door (not shown) of a two-door assembly of which the inside door means 3 is the other door arrangement. This type of two sliding door arrangement to which this door lock arrangement is adaptable is best seen in copending US. Pat. application, Ser. No. 787,445 filed on Dec. 30, 1968 and identified as Docket No. 65,295, titled Full Door Railroad Car" on an invention of Ray L. Ferris, William R. Shaver and Jan W. Dohne transmitted with the instant application.

The catch structure or means 14 includes a pair of horizontally extending, vertically spaced corner post mounted lock plates or frames I9 and 24 to which is pivotally attached the catch pivot cam and handle unit 2I. The catch unit 2I includes the pivot element 22 pivotally attached to the plates I9 and 20 by retainers 23 and 24 welded to pin cam 25 extending through apertures 26 in each of the plates I9 or 20. The offset portion of reduced diameter or pin cam 25 of the pivot element or pin 22 is provided with vertical flat side portions 29 and 28, which are perpendicular to one another, and curved portion 27. The pivot element or pin 22 extends in the apertures 26 of the elements I9 and 20. The flat 29 is located generally centrally of the pivot element 22 and flat 23 is located inwardly of the edge of the pin element 22 which results in the offsetting of the pin cam 25 with respect to the pivotal end portions 221:, 22a of the pivot element 22. Consequently, the pin cam 25 is rotatable eccentrically about the periphery of the apertures 26 of the plates I9 and 2t) 180 in clockwise direction from the position as shown in FIG. I (door locked position) where the cam 25 is in locking and blocking relation with respect to the latch catch engaging head 17 so that it cannot be withdrawn from the space between the cam 25 and the end post 4 or door 3 to a position 180 spaced therefrom, as shown in FIG. 2, in the door open position where the latch catch-engaging head I7 is removed from the space between the cam 25 and the end post 4. The latch catchengaging head I7 is provided with a guard 3I which is mounted between the plates or gussets l9 and 20 and acts also as a spacer and reinforcer for the plates 19 and 20 as well as a protective guard element for the head I7. The lower retainer 24 forms the end of handle arm structure 32 which is welded by welding w to pin 22, as is retainer 23. The handle arm structure 32 includes an elongated lever arm 33 from which fixedly depends a handle 34 by weldings w. The arm structure 32 may be pivoted from the locking position, shown in FIG. 1, I to the unlocked position where it may be retained by hook means 35 having downward depending hook element 34 preventing the bar or lever 33 from swinging outwardly away from the corner post structure 4. The continuity of the door seal or jamb 5 is interrupted to provide an open space because of the placement of the placement of the upper and lower plates I9 and 2t) thereat and adjacent the seal surface of the end post 4, the hook means or safety latch means 35 being pivotally attached by pin or bolt and nut means 37 through lug 38 mounted on the lower lock frame plate or gusset 20. The plates I9 and 24 are fixed to vertical plate I3a held by bolts 20a to the end wall structure 4.

A secondary lock means 4'0 is provided for locking of the lever 33 pivotally mounted on the post structure 4 to the inside door means 3. The secondary or auxiliary locking means comprises a horizontal plate or shelf 41 projecting outwardly from the inside door 3 below the latch bar I5. The shelf 4I is provided with a back 42 attached to the door 3 and the underside of the latch bar I5 and spaced from the bar I5 by gussets 43 welded to the member I5 and the member 4I by weldings w. A secondary safety latch 44 in the form of a lever arm 45 has a finger tab or handle 44 at its free end and at its other end 47 is pivotally attached by pivot pin means 43 to trunnion means 49 mounted on the shelf 4I, the end 47 having a downwardly extending round-ended projection or cam 50 extendable into and conformable with curved groove or opening 5I in the lever arm 33. The pivotal latch arm means 44, therefore, permits additional locking of the door to the end post by the coupling of the latch arm means 44 fixedly mounted on the door to the lever arm 33 of the pivotal catch means I4.

Additional means in the form of vertically spaced complementary registrable holes 55 and 56 respectively in upper shelf 4I and lower lever arm 33 respectively permit insertion, through said holes 55 and 56 of car seal means which, if broken, indicates the car door has been tampered with. Further securing holes 57 and 53 which are vertically spaced from one another and aligned with one another, are respectively placed in the upper shelf 4I and the lower lever arm 33 when the catch means I4 is in the locked position as seen in FIGS, I, 3 and 4, whereby a padlock (not shown) may pass through the holes 57 and 58 to further fixedly lock the shelf of the secondary locking means 40 to the lever arm 33 of the pivotal catch means 21.

The catch structure, being of greater size and weight and containing the moving parts, is mounted on the more solid doorpostwhereas the latch element and secondary locking means, being of less size and weight, is to be mounted on the inner sliding door. The cam flat 28 of the cam 25 of the catch means" in pivoting and facing toward the flat side 17a of the head 17 of the latch member 13 forces or cams the sliding door shut against the end post and therefore insures the tightsealing engagement of each sliding door with the doorpost when the catch means 14 is placed into the locked position.

The foregoing description and drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate the invention, and the invention is not to be limited thereto since those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

lclaim:

1. In a sliding door assembly, a lock mechanism for first and second door means being movable relatively longitudinally of one another comprising:

a locking latch mountable on said first door means and having a latch head projecting outwardly from the door means,

a pivotal catch structure being rotatable generally about a vertical axis and mountable on said second door means and having a generally horizontally extending and swinging handle and a generally'vertically extending catch cam connected with and rotated by the handle,

said cam having a first face portion spaced away sufiicientlyfrom the second door means in a first unlocked position of-the handle and defining a variable space to permit entrance of the latch head between the first face portion and the second door means and removal of the latch head from the space,

said cam having a second face portion at an angle to the first face portion and spaced closer to the second door means in a rotated second locked position of the handle attendant to. reduce the size of the space to prevent removal of the latch head away from the second cam face portion, thelocking of the lock mechanism occurring upon rotation of the handle to the locked position having the catch cam entrap the latch head between the cam and the handle for fixedly holding the handle in the locking position.

4. The invention according to claim 1, and

secondary locking means including a secondary lock element on the first door means and seal holes provided on the secondary lock element and on the handle for receiving a tamper-indicating seal ring'therethrough attendant to tying thehandle to the secondary lock element in the locking position.

5. The invention according to claim 3, and

said handle having a cam-receiving opening, secondary lockingmeans including a movable locking arm pivotally mounted on said lock element, said locking arm having a cam registering with the opening in the handle in the locked position of the secondary locking means.

6. The invention according to claim 1, and

said locking latch including a horizontally extending elongated element receivable between the catch structure and the seconddoor means. 7. The inventlon according to claim 1, and

said first door means including a sliding door and said second door means including a doorpost.

8. The invention according to claim 7, and

said latch being mounted on the outside of said sliding door and said doorpost having seal means receiving said sliding door in sealing relation and said latch being placed adjacent said cam, said cam being eccentrically mounted for swinging into position adjacent said latch head to prevent separation of said sliding door from said post in the locked position.

9. The invention according to claim 1, and

said locking latch having an outer sliding door abutting surface in opposed relation to said latch head. 

1. In a sliding door assembly, a lock mechanism for first and second door means being movable relatively longitudinally of one another comprising: a locking latch mountable on said first door means and having a latch head projecting outwardly from the door means, a pivotal catch structure being rotatable generally about a vertical axis and mountable on said second door means and having a generally horizontally extending and swinging handle and a generally vertically extending catch cam connected with and rotated by the handle, said cam having a first face portion spaced away sufficiently from the second door means in a first unlocked position of the handle and defining a variable space to permit entrance of the latch head between the first face portion and the second door means and removal of the latch head from the space, said cam having a second face portion at an angle to the first face portion and spaced closer to the second door means in a rotated second locked position of the handle attendant to reduce the size of the space to prevent removal of the latch head away from the second cam face portion, the locking of the lock mechanism occurring upoN rotation of the handle to the locked position having the catch cam entrap the latch head between the cam and the second door means.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 and hook means pivotally mounted on the second door means and coupling with the catch structure preventing movement of the catch structure about a generally vertical axis in the unlocked position thereof.
 3. The invention according to claim 1, and secondary locking means including a secondary lock element on the first door means and complementary registering holes on the secondary lock element and on the handle for fixedly holding the handle in the locking position.
 4. The invention according to claim 1, and secondary locking means including a secondary lock element on the first door means and seal holes provided on the secondary lock element and on the handle for receiving a tamper-indicating seal ring therethrough attendant to tying the handle to the secondary lock element in the locking position.
 5. The invention according to claim 3, and said handle having a cam-receiving opening, secondary locking means including a movable locking arm pivotally mounted on said lock element, said locking arm having a cam registering with the opening in the handle in the locked position of the secondary locking means.
 6. The invention according to claim 1, and said locking latch including a horizontally extending elongated element receivable between the catch structure and the second door means.
 7. The invention according to claim 1, and said first door means including a sliding door and said second door means including a doorpost.
 8. The invention according to claim 7, and said latch being mounted on the outside of said sliding door and said doorpost having seal means receiving said sliding door in sealing relation and said latch being placed adjacent said cam, said cam being eccentrically mounted for swinging into position adjacent said latch head to prevent separation of said sliding door from said post in the locked position.
 9. The invention according to claim 1, and said locking latch having an outer sliding door abutting surface in opposed relation to said latch head. 